Gardaí are investigating after a bus driver in Limerick city was threatened to be shot by a group of teenagers on Sunday evening.

Bus Éireann has moved to clarify that no weapons were brandished during the incident and have made CCTV available to Gardaí.

It came just two days after a female driver was shot in the face with an air gun on the same route.

The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has condemned the latest incident and says the male driver involved was uninjured but left shaken, and he has since returned to work.

Incident

NBRU spokesperson Stephen Nugent told Newstalk what happened on Sunday.

“The driver was covering the Carew Park area of Southill when he pulled into a bus stop and a gang of youths boarded the bus,” he said.

“They refused to pay the fare and demanded that the driver bring them to the next stop, or the next destination point that they wanted to go to.

“They said if he didn’t, he’d be shot – the driver was quite intimidated.”

An aerial view of Limerick city. Image: Hans Blossey / Alamy Stock Photo

Mr Nugent said the driver brought them to that “next destination.”

“But by the time they got to the next destination, there had obviously been phone calls made because there was another gang of youths waiting at the bus stop,” he said.

“They got off the bus and he brought it directly back to the depot.”

Two days earlier, a female driver was shot in the face with an air gun along the same route at O’Malley Park.

Bus Éireann has now suspended Route 303 from Carew Park and O’Malley Park as a result of the incidents.

Disappointing

Mr Nugent said it was disappointing that such steps had to be taken.

“It’s very unfortunate now that the good people of O’Malley Park and Carew Park are being affected by this,” he said.

“But we can’t have our members going into areas where they’re being physically attacked, threatened to be shot, and actually shot in the face by air guns.

“Not only that but there was also an incident last week where a bus driver found razor blades embedded in seats, where they had ripped up seats and embedded razor blades in them.”

Bus Éireann

In a statement, Bus Éireann condemned the incidents.

"Bus Éireann continues to investigate a serious anti-social behaviour incident that occurred in the O’Malley Park area of Limerick on a route 303 service (Kilmallock Rd - Pineview) on 12 July 2024," they said.

"Our driver received minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precaution.

"A further incident occurred on route 303 at Carew Park on Sunday 14 July 2024, where a number of youths confronted our driver whilst in service.

"This unacceptable incident involved a small number of youths boarding the bus and confronting the driver and then exiting the bus and subsequently impeding the progress of the service for a very brief period of time.

"Both incidents have been referred to An Garda Síochána and Bus Éireann is providing assistance as required, including making CCTV available to Gardaí."